


A Fate That Lies Elsewhere...

by DaydreamGlitterbug



Category: Blaseball (Video Game)
Genre: Character Death Mentioned, Gen, Premonition, Waffles, the elsewhere, tillman mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-16 20:34:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29955516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaydreamGlitterbug/pseuds/DaydreamGlitterbug
Summary: "It felt so sudden, the sweeping of the immateria. To Hotbox Sato, it couldn’t think on HOW to stay on the field--the rush was so sudden. And now...it was lost."Hotbox Sato gets swept elsewhere, has a premonition, and eats waffles
Kudos: 4





	A Fate That Lies Elsewhere...

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I have had serious sad Hotbox Sato thoughts due to its incineration--delacing as it's called by the Shoe Thieves. Maybe it was because of hanging out in The Shoebox over siesta and listening to Briggsbox angst a lot. AND NOW IT HAPPENED.
> 
> So, this is what happened in the Elsewhere...or at least what I would like to think happened.
> 
> Special Thank Yous to the Shoe Thieves in the Solarium and in CROCS for introducing me to Briggsbox, especially to Barry for Snyder Loses the Remote...which you may want to read after this, it'll lift your spirits RIGHT back up!
> 
> Recommended Listening for this fic is a song by Jimi Adam called "Naked in the Rain" which you can find on Spotify. Only because I describe it during the fic itself.

**SEASON 13, DAY 8: HOTBOX SATO WAS SWEPT ELSEWHERE!**

It felt so sudden, the sweeping of the immateria. To Hotbox Sato, it couldn’t think on HOW to stay on the field--the rush was so sudden. And now...it was lost. “What is this place?” Hotbox wondered as it looked up at the trees and the grey. This was the Elsewhere...and Hotbox was alone. Well, not entirely. Oliver Muller was there too but...no one else from the Thieves. So, it was all on its own to find its way back to the Immaterial Plane...before the day hit.

The day...day 20 of the season...Hotbox saw something truly awful...Snyder Briggs being almost incinerated and then...the fire hit it instead. It sacrificed itself to the flames. But...that was just a vision seen while under the waves, being moved towards the Elsewhere. It couldn’t believe what it saw...was it really going to be delaced in 12 days? Twelve days in the immaterial plane at least, it didn’t quite know how time flowed in the Elsewhere.

Hotbox had been wandering for an hour. It felt very lost and alone...as if the Elsewhere was wide, vast, and confusing in nature. The only way it could be less confusing would be if the perpetual heavy fog lifted. But...that wasn’t gonna happen. Hotbox was about to give up on getting back home. The labyrinth forest was getting to it. However, it ran into a sign of hope...quite literally. It looked up at the signpost that it just ran into...Waffles Of The Elsewhere. A glow was seen through the fog that lit it up bright blue and red. Naturally, it wandered towards this glow and found a building. A refuge, a place to rest. It went inside the establishment.

It was empty, as expected. The jukebox in the corner played a song that sounded like an 80s power ballad that repeated the same lyrics over and over. Hotbox looked at when the song was released and was shocked at how recent it was. The sole person inside was at the counter wiping off a few coffee mugs. As Hotbox sat down, it noticed that there were some menus laying about, scattered across the counter. The booths were neatly arranged as if the diner was expecting more patrons than it got in the labyrinth it was in. The owner stopped wiping the coffee mug they were working on and came over to where Hotbox was sitting.

“Howdy stranger, what brings you to The Elsewhere?”

“What else...the flood came and swept me here.”

“Ah, as expected. Getting a lot of patrons like that recently...well, we actually just got patrons recently. The Elsewhere really hadn’t had any visitors until then anyways…”

“Ah, I see…” Hotbox stared at the menu for a bit before ordering a cup of coffee with caramel creamer and some waffles. It needed something to eat before heading out to find a way back anyways. The owner decided to talk to Hotbox a bit more while they prepped its order.

“I’m Labrys, you’ve probably figured out by now that I own this place. And you are?”

“Hotbox Sato from the Charleston Shoe Thieves…”

“Oh! Haven’t had a Shoe Thief yet! We’ve had quite a cast of characters stop by here... Though, I did hear about the Shoe Thieves from that castle that came in here the other day.”

“Sigmund came into here?!? How did they fit in the door?”

Labrys shrugged, “Dunno. They had gargoyles who were very hungry, I fed ‘em all and then they left back to the Immaterial Plane.”

“Wait-so this is the gate back?”

Labrys shook their head, “Hell if I know. There are lots of gates in The Elsewhere. This happens to be next to one of them.”

“Good to know, but I’m...not quite ready to head back yet…”

“Oh? Is something on your mind?”

Hotbox nodded, “Yeah...I had a premonition while being swept here…”

“Oh, plenty common. A few Tigers players came in saying that they saw a third trophy while being swept here...dunno what that means and they didn’t either. Most of the descriptions I’ve heard are vague as hell though.”

“Labrys...mine wasn’t. I’m gonna be delaced on day 20 of the season…”

“Oh honey bunches. That sucks.”

“But...I do it to protect my partner from befalling that fate. After all, they came from a universe where delacing wasn’t a thing. I just don’t know how to process it all.”

“Oh my word. Hotbox, that’s awful.”

“I know...but if I stay here, Labrys, they’ll feel the flames instead.”

“I see...you want to protect your partner but if you don’t go back, you two will still be separated?”

Hotbox sat there for a second and sipped some of its coffee. It was sort of sweet with hints of smoke. It looked off into space thinking up a response to what Labrys said. It hurt more that Hoxbox thought it would. It was a realization: either way, it was a split. One of them was going to end up as a ghost and Hotbox was determined to not let it be Briggs.

“You’re right, Labrys. One of us will end up as a ghost and I’m sure it’ll be me!”

“You’re determined now, huh?”

Hotbox nodded, “Yeah. I’ll eat and then head back. Maybe I’ll have time to say goodbye to everyone before I go…”

“You should. But be subtle about it. If ya tell people about your fate then they’re bound to change it.”

Hotbox nodded, “Fair. I have a friend who knew about something and didn’t tell any of us before it happened and if he told us...god I don’t know where the league would be, probably under the rule of the Shelled One still.”

“Well, your waffle is ready, go ahead and eat up.” Labrys shoved a plate in Hotbox’s direction with a stack of two waffles covered in a sticky syrup. Hotbox proceeded to start eating the waffles.

The mug of coffee was empty. The plate was clean as a shoe warehouse after a successful shoe heist. The jukebox was continuing its jaunt through the same power ballad that was on when Hotbox arrived. It was time for Hotbox to return to the Immaterial Plane. It waved Labrys a final farewell as they went to clean up a little. As soon as Sato stepped out of the door, a circle of light glowed through the fog right next to the diner. Sure enough, it was the gate back. Confident and unafraid of its fate, Hotbox Sato stepped into the gate and was suddenly on the field. It was a solar eclipse and Pudge Nakamoto was up to bat. It was home.

**SEASON 13, DAY 19: HOTBOX SATO HAS RETURNED FROM ELSEWHERE AFTER ELEVEN DAYS!**


End file.
